Research published in 2019 suggests that the cooling effect of trees to reduce the heat island effect in cities is most effective when canopy cover is equal to or greater than 40%.

The research suggests:

• We should target planting of trees in areas with less than 40% canopy coverage, this is usually in low socio-economic areas

• We should also consider opportunities to cover or reduce impervious surfaces to reduce the head island effect

– Read on Scale-dependent interactions between tree canopy cover and impervious surfaces reduce daytime urban heat during summer